Do Raccoons Eat Grass

If you’re a gardener, you’ve probably seen a raccoon sniffing around your lawn. You might wonder, do raccoons eat grass? The answer is yes, but it’s not a main course. Their dietary habits are full of surprises that can affect your garden in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Raccoons are famous for getting into trash cans. But they are actually opportunistic omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals, and their menu changes with the seasons and what’s available. Understanding what they really eat helps you protect your plants and manage these clever visitors.

Seeing a raccoon nibble grass can look strange. They aren’t built to digest it like cows or rabbits. So why do they do it? Grass serves a few specific purposes for them, and it’s rarely about nutrition.

Reasons Raccoons Might Consume Grass

Raccoons aren’t grazing for a meal. Instead, eating grass is a behavior linked to health and digestion.

Upset Stomach Relief: Just like cats and dogs, raccoons may eat grass to induce vomiting. This can help them clear something irritating from their digestive system, like fur from grooming or bones from a meal.
Parasite Expulsion: Some experts think the coarse blades of grass can help physically clear intestinal worms or other parasites.
Accidental Ingestion: Often, grass is eaten by mistake. A raccoon digging for grubs or earthworms will get a mouthful of soil and roots, swallowing grass in the process.

So, while grass is on the menu, it’s more of a medicinal supplement than a food source. Their primary diet is much more varied and impactful for your garden.

The True Raccoon Diet: What They’re Really Looking For

To safeguard your garden, you need to know what raccoons are actually hunting for. Their favorite foods are high in protein and easy to find.

Invertebrates: This is a top choice. They use their sensitive paws to feel for and dig up lawn grubs, earthworms, and insects. This digging is what causes significant damage to lawns.
Fruits and Vegetables: At the peak of ripeness, your corn, melons, berries, and grapes are irresistible. They will take one bite from many fruits, ruining the entire crop.
Small Animals: They will eat frogs, fish, bird eggs, and nestlings. A pond or birdhouse can become a feeding station.
Human Food Waste: Unsecured garbage, compost bins, and even pet food left outside are like a buffet for raccoons.

How Raccoon Habits Affect Your Garden

You won’t notice damage from them eating grass. The real problems come from their search for other foods. Here’s what to look for.

Lawn and Turf Damage

The most common sign is torn-up sod. Raccoons peel back sections of your lawn like rolling back a carpet. They are hunting for grubs just underneath the surface. If you see this, you likely have a two-part problem: raccoons and a grub infestation.

Vegetable Plot Raids

Raccoons are messy eaters. You’ll find half-eaten tomatoes, broken corn stalks, and hollowed-out melons. They often strike just before you plan to harvest, when produce is at its sweetest.

Structural Nuisance

They can knock over potted plants, rip open trash bags, and raid compost piles. Their strong paws can open simple latches, making sheds and bins vulnerable.

Effective Strategies to Protect Your Garden

You don’t have to surrender your garden. A few smart, consistent tactics make a big difference. The key is to remove attractants and create barriers.

Eliminate the Food Source: This is the most important step. Treat your lawn for grubs in late summer to break the cycle. Secure your compost in a closed bin, and never compost meat or dairy. Bring pet food inside at night and use locking lids on trash cans.
Install Physical Barriers: Use hardware cloth or sturdy chicken wire around vegetable beds. Bury the edges at least 6 inches deep to prevent digging. For corn, try placing a small radio (talk radio works) in the patch at night; the human voices can deter them.
Use Water and Light Deterrents: Motion-activated sprinklers are highly effective. The sudden spray startles them. Similarly, motion-sensor lights can make them feel exposed and vulnerable.
Apply Natural Repellents: Sprinkle cayenne pepper powder around plants or use a commercial repellent with ingredients like capsaicin. Reapply after rain. The smell and taste are unpleasant to their sensitive noses and tongues.

Remember, raccoons are smart and will test your defenses. Consistency is crucial. If one method doesn’t work perfectly, combine it with another.

Understanding Raccoon Behavior is Key

These animals are incredibly adaptable. Their intelligence and dexterous paws make them formiddable garden visitors. They can remember food locations for months and teach their young where to find easy meals.

This is why simply scaring them away once rarely works. You need to change the environment so your garden is no longer an attractive, easy target. By focusing on the foods they truly want—not the grass they occasionally eat—you can develop a better protection plan.

It’s also important to note that feeding raccoons intentionally is always a bad idea. It makes them loose their natural fear of humans and can lead to agressive behavior. It also increases there population in your area, making your garden problems worse.

When to Call a Professional

Most raccoon issues can be managed with deterrence. But sometimes, you need extra help.

If a raccoon is denning under your deck, shed, or in your attic.
If you notice a raccoon acting disoriented, lethargic, or aggressive (potential signs of disease).
If your deterrents are failing and damage is severe.

In these cases, contact a licensed wildlife control professional. They can remove animals humanely and help you seal entry points to prevent a return. Never try to handle a raccoon yourself, as they can carry diseases like rabies and roundworm.

FAQs About Raccoon Diets

Do raccoons eat cat food?

Absolutely. Dry or wet cat food left outdoors is a major attractant. It’s a high-protein, easy meal that will draw raccoons into your yard regularly.

What vegetables do raccoons eat most?

They are especially fond of sweet corn, melons, and peas. They also dig for root vegetables like potatoes if they can get to them.

Will raccoons eat bird seed?

Yes. They will climb poles to access bird feeders and spill seed onto the ground. Using baffles on feeder poles and cleaning up spilled seed at night can help.

Is it normal for a raccoon to be out during the day?

Not usually, but it’s not always a sign of illness. A nursing mother may forage in daylight to feed her young. However, daytime activity combined with strange behavior warrants caution.

Do raccoons eat apples?

They love fruit, and apples are no exception. Fallen apples from trees will attract them, as will ripe ones still on low branches.

By knowing that the answer to “do raccoons eat grass” is just a small part of a bigger picture, you can take effective action. Focus on protecting the foods they truly target. With some patience and the right strategies, you can enjoy your garden while encouraging these wild neighbors to forage elsewhere. A beautiful garden and local wildlife can coexist with a little smart planning from you.